Team Erin Andrews
I never thought much of ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews. Pretty, nice rack, whatever. Okay, okay, let me amend that–pretty, very nice rack…whatever.
The point is, I still got to “whatever.” Because Erin Andrews represents everything that’s cliché and uninteresting about sports to me. She’s the archetypal Hot Girl–blonde, leggy, and, again, racktastic–for dudes with no imagination. She’s also the (pin-up) poster girl for the gender inequality that pervades professional sports and its employment opportunities within, whether it’s in front of the camera, on a coaching staff, or on an executive level. Women need not apply to this good ol’ boy network–unless they’re sexy and most closely resemble the cheerleaders. Men, meanwhile, who do the same work that Andrews does, can be as dweeby (ahem, Ken Rosenthal) or as sartorially-challenged (hi, Craig Sager) or as overweight as they want (what’s up, Goose?) with impunity.
But Erin Andrews’ recent beef with The View‘s Elisabeth Hasselbeck–another female-in-sports archetype, aka The Quarterback’s Wife–a beef that, for the record, Hasselbeck started, has not only done away with my ambivalence towards Andrews, it’s also got me rooting for her. You see, Andrews has been a stalking victim twice in the last year. The first time, some perv filmed a Andrews through a peephole while she was naked in her hotel room, and then put the video online. The second time, she received emailed death threats. But she’s been in the news most recently because she’s a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, one of the final five, in fact. A week ago, Hasselbeck criticized the outfits Andrews wore on the show–the women’s outfits are typically skimpy–saying the ESPN reporter was wearing “next to nothing” while not-so-subtly playing the ol’ blaming-the-victim game:
“In light of what happened and as a legal [matter]–and as inexcusable as it was for that horrific guy to go in and try to peep on her in her hotel room,” Elisabeth said. “I mean, in some way if I’m him, I’m like, ‘Man! I just could’ve waited 12 weeks and seen this–a little bit less–without the prison time!’”
Andrews quickly fired back that Hasselbeck’s remarks were “a slap in the face to victims of stalking and sexual predators.” Which they were. Ostensibly realizing the error of her ways (i.e. being an out-of-line, blame-y bitch), Hasselbeck apologized publicly on The View, while relating the story of Hasselbeck’s five year-old daughter suggesting her mother “just call Erin and tell her you’re sorry” privately. Which Hasselbeck claimed she did.
Watch here:
Andrews, however, said that while Hasselbeck did call her, Andrews never spoke to her. And now, there are rumors that Hasselbeck’s tearful apology was engineered by Barbara Walters for ratings. If one or both of these claims is true, Hasselbeck comes off as a world-class creep, not only for woman-bashing in the first place, but for using her young daughter as some kind of object lesson on moral conduct while basically lying in front of millions of people.
You gotta love this bitchfight for exposing Hasselbeck for the faux-minist that she is though. This is the same chick who freaked when a Playboy writer wrote that he’d rather blow Regis Philbin than hate-fuck her, who called out NOW for being partisan because they didn’t rush to her defense, and who said critics focusing on Sarah Palin’s clothes during the 2008 presidential campaign were being “deliberately sexist.” And now she’s harping on a REAL VICTIM of both a sexual predator and a violent stalker for what the poor woman’s WEARING? OMG. Pick up your dictionary right now, flip to the word “irony,” and find Hasselbeck’s picture there. Then flip to the word “hypocrisy,” and you’ll find that same smug little mug.
But why Erin Andrews, is the question? Hasselbeck has been known to target women with opposing (i.e. liberal) political views, but an ESPN sideline reporter? Who, as far as I know, is only out to get the vote…of the elderly people (i.e. my parents) who actually watch that horrible dancing show?
Erin Andrews’ DWTS partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy probably had the best explanation for Hasselbeck’s hateration when he Tweeted:
“I’m the one designing @ErinAndrewsESPN’s dresses for the show, so I’ll just assume that @ehasselbeck is jealous…and stupid 4 her comments.”
In other words, it’s the rack-envy. The very nice rack-envy.
[HuffPo: Elisabeth Hasselbeck SLAMS Erin Andrews' Clothing, Excuses Stalker]
[US: Erin Andrews: I "Never" Spoke with Elisabeth Hasselbeck]
Filed under: Apologies, Barbara Walters, Bithfights, Blame-y Bitches, Blaming the Victim, Boobs, Conservative Women, Dancing With the Stars, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Elisabeth Hasselbeck Apologizes to Erin Andrews, Elisabeth Hasselbeck Erin Andrews Feud, Erin Andrews, Erin Andrews Death Threats, Erin Andrews Stalker Victim, ESPN, Fake Apologies, Female Sportscasters, Nice Racks, The View
Jen, you’re thoughtful — neither woman has ever come to my attention before & i’m not a breast man [any size will do] but it’s clear that hasselbeck’s a clown
I feel terrible admitting that I saw that hidden camera tape…totally by accident!
Very well written. Sure is a lot of self-loathing in the news lately.